Twenty One Pilots is an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio, consisting of frontman Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun. The band is known for its difficult-to-categorize mix of musical styles, lyrics concerning personal insecurities, and energetic live shows featuring costumes and on-stage acrobatics. They are also known for their fanbase and an alternate universe storyline told through several concept albums. The band was formed in 2009 by Joseph, bassist Nick Thomas, and drummer Chris Salih. After independently releasing their first album, Twenty One Pilots (2009), Salih was replaced by Dun in May 2011 and Thomas left the following month, with the group continuing as a duo. Following their second independent album, Regional at Best (2011), the duo was signed by record label Fueled by Ramen in 2012. Their label debut, Vessel (2013), became the second album in history on which every track received at least a gold certification. The duo achieved breakthrough success in 2015 with their fourth album, Blurryface, which produced the hit singles "Stressed Out" and "Ride" and became the first album on which every track received at least a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. "Stressed Out" earned Twenty One Pilots a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. The release of "Heathens" in 2016 also made the group the first alternative artist in history to have two concurrent top five singles in the Billboard Hot 100 and the third rock act in history to have two singles simultaneously chart in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, joining the Beatles and Elvis Presley. The duo has released four more studio albums: Trench (2018), Scaled and Icy (2021), Clancy (2024), and Breach (2025). They have garnered 14 number-one songs on the Alternative Airplay chart, tying with Linkin Park for the second-most.
